Variable road widener



May 1, 1962 J. D. BERO VARIABLE ROAD WIDENER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 4, 1959 k RMSQQ INVENTOR Jamil!!! BY I ATTORNEYS May 1, 1962 J. D. BERO VARIABLE ROAD WIDENER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 4, 1959 .1. ini n a. a

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ATTORNEYS May 1, 1962 J. D. BERO VARIABLE ROAD WIDENER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 4, 1959- Q Q INVENTOR @hms flfiem ATTORNEYS nited States Patent O 3,031,938 VARIABLE ROAD WIDENER James D. Bero, Ithaca, N.Y. (553 White Springs Road, Geneva, N.Y.) Filed Mar. 4, 1959, Ser. No. 797,280 3 Claims. (Cl. 94-46) This invention relates to improvements in road paving machinery, and more particularly to such machinery for adding a narrow strip of concrete, black top or the like to an existing road for the purpose of widening the road by a width which is less than the standard width used in road building.

Road wideners for adding a strip of concrete from one foot to six feet wide, for example, to an existing road are well known. One such road Widener is the Model 85 Widener, as manufactured by Blaw-Knox Company, Blew-Knox Equipment Division, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Known types of road wideners provide means for varying the width of the strips to be laid by the substitution of one size of strike oil plate for another, and likewise substituting a corresponding size of vibrator plate. With known machines, it is necessary to stop the machine while the strike off plate and vibrator plate are changed. It necessitates carrying sets of these plates for a wide variety of concrete strip widths, and as a practical matter it would be impossible to add a concrete strip having a gradual taper as for adding a cut-01f traffic lane or a merging traffic lane to an existing road.

Road wideners of known types eliminate the use of forms, by providing inside and outside shut off plates which are fixed to the machine and move therewith to define a longitudinally movable form to receive the concrete. The inside shut off plate prevents the plastic concrete from contacting the top surface of the existing road by holding it away from the existing road until it has been brought to the same level by the strike off plate, and tamped. Then as the machine moves along its course the inside shut off plate is withdrawn from between the existing pavement and the newly laid concrete strip. The outside shut off plate which acts as a continuously moving form for the outside edge of the concrete strip holds the concrete during the leveling and tamping operation, but manual labor is used for pulling dirt up against the outside shut off plate to retain the concrete when the shut ofi plate has been moved as the Widener continues on its course. Often manual labor cannot keep up with the machine and it is either necessary to shut down the machine to permit the laborer to catch up, or risk collapse of the outer edge of the new strip of concrete, due to improper refill and tamping of the earth.

Consequently, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved type of concrete road widener which is instantly adjustable for any width of concrete strip without the necessity of shutting down operation of the Widener.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a concrete road Widener with which a concrete road widening strip having .a constantly tapering width may be laid. I

A still futrher object of the present invention is to provide an automatic earth refill for a road Widener.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the width tapering mechanism of the present invention, mounted on a conventional concrete. road Widener which is shown in part;

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FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the width tapering mechanism shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of FIGURE 3.

The present invention will be described with respect to incorporating said invention in a Blew-Knox road Widener No. 85, shown in the published catalog entitled Parts List, Model or Widener Serial No. 264, Blaw-Knox Company, Blaw-Knox Equipment Division, Pittsburgh 38, Pennsylvania.

Adverting now to the drawings and particularly to FIGURE 1, there is shown a partial view of a Model 85 Blaw-Knox Road Widener at 10, in which portions of the machine have been modified to incorporate the present invention, those portions of the machine with which the present invention is not concerned having been omitted from the view, or illustrated in a general way. For the purpose of identifying the parts of the existing machine there is shown the conveyor for concrete 11, the steering wheel 12, the operators seat 13, the front wheel 14, the steering arm 15, the upper extension beam 16, the lower extension beam 17, the jack 18 for adjusting the-height of the inner shut-01f plate 19, and the jack 20a for adjusting the height of the outer shut-ofi plate 20.

The present invention is concerned with eliminating the necessity for stopping the machine to replace one length of strike-off plate and one length of vibrator plate with a different length of strike-off and vibrator plate each time the width of the concrete strip being laid is to be varied. Often the exact size of plate for a particular width of strip is not available and there is no means for tapering one Width of concrete strip into another width except by hand labor.

In accordance with the present invention, the strike-off plate or gate 21 is formed in sections with one section telescoping into another. For the purpose of illustration, a stationary strike-off plate section 22 is provided with upper and lower brackets 23, 24, respectively, to receive a sliding strike-oft plate section 25 within the pair of brackets, as shown in FIGURE 3, so that the sliding section 25 may be telescoped with the stationary section 22 to reduce the width of the strike-off plate or extended to its full length, as shown in FIGURE 3, to increase the width of the strike-oil plate.

In similar manner, the vibrator plate 26 is made in sections. A stationary vibrator plate section 27 has mounted thereon a pair of lateral brackets 28, 29 between which there is received a sliding vibrator plate section 39, so that the sliding section 30 will slide longitudinally under the stationary section 27 to which it is held in underlying alignment by the brackets 28, 29.

The inner ends 31, 32 of the stationary strike-off plate 22 and the stationary vibrator plate 27 are connected to the inner shut-off plate 19 in the same manner as the corresponding ends of the strike-oft" plate and vibrator plate of the prior known machine are connected. Also, the outer ends 33, 34 of the sliding strike-01f plate 25 and sliding vibrator plate 30, respectively, are connected to the support rail 35 of the outer'shut-off plate 20 in the same manner as corresponding ends of the strike-off plate and vibrator of the prior known machine.

The vibrator motor 36 for the vibrator plate 26 has one mounting bracket 37 attached to the stationary strikeoff plate 22, and the other mounting bracket 38 attached to the stationary vibrator plate 30, and it is driven in the same manner as on the known machine.

The upper and lower extension beams 16 and 17 tele scope within the tubes or housings 39, 40, respectively. Since the outer shut-off plate 20 is suspended from the outer ends of these beams, the distance they are extended outward from the inner shut-ofi plate 19 determines the width of the strip of concrete which will be laid. For the adjustment of this distance, a rod 41 is mounted in an apertured bracket 42, attached adjacent the outer end of the beam 17. \Vashers 43, 44 are fixed to the rod 41 on either side of the aperture of the bracket 42, and a sprocket 45 is mounted on the outer end of the rod 41 for revolving the rod. The other end of the rod 41 is screw-threaded and is mounted in an internally threaded sleeve bracket 46 attached to the tube 40. Revolving the sprocket 45 in one direction will draw the beam outwardly from the tube 40, and increase the widthwise distance between the shut-elf plates 19 and 20. Revolving the sprocket 45 in the opposite direction will decrease the distance between the plates 19 and 20. Two additional rods are provided for equalizing the force applied to the outer shut-off plate support rail 35 for varying the distance between the shut off plates 19 and 20, and thereby the width of the concrete strip which the machine will lay. Thus, the rod 47 has one end journaled in the outer shut-off support rail 35, and an operating handle 48 is mounted on the outer end of said rod. A sprocket is fixed on the rod 47 outwardly of the support rail 35. The other end of the rod is threaded and journaled in a threaded sleeve 50, which is attached to the framework of the widener 10.

A rod 51 has its outer end journaled in a bracket 52 attached to the outer end of the extension beam 16. The other end of the rod 51 is screw-threaded and journaled in a threaded sleeve bracket 53 mounted on the side of the housing 39. A sprocket 54 is mounted on the rod 51 on the outer end thereof, and a second sprocket 55 is mounted on the rod 41 intermediate the sprocket 45 and the fixed washer 44. A sprocket chain 56 is mounted on the sprockets 49 and 45, and another'sprocket chain 57 is mounted on the sprockets 54 and 55. When the rod 47 is revolved by means of the handle 48, the rods 51 and 41 revolve in the same direction and in the same degree, the sprockets 44, 54, 55 and 49 being of similar size. Suitable pairs of washers 47a, 47b, 51a and 51b fixed to the shafts 47 and 51, respectively, cause the support plate 35 and beam 16 to move with the shafts.

By revolving the handle 48 in one direction or the other, the rear end of the shut-off plate 20, which terminates, in the example of the invention shown in FIG- URE 1, at a point in line with the strike-off plate 21, can be made to track with the widening or narrowing taper, respectively, of the strip of concrete to be laid, when the Widener is moving in its strip laying direction. The taper of the concrete strip which the machine will lay will be a function of the forward movement of the machine and the rate at which the outer shut-off plate is moved toward or away from the inner shutoff plate 19. By terminating the rearward extension of the outer shut-off plate 20 so that it does not extend rearward of the strike-off plate 23, it will not damage the concrete which has been struck olf and tamped when the shut-ofi plate 20 is moved inwardly to make a narrowing taper.

A backfill 58 having a vertically disposed sweep 59 pivotally attached to 'a bracket 60 mounted on the outer shut-ofi plate 20 outwardly thereof is provided for pulling back a portion of the earth removed from the excavation for the concrete strip. The top of the sweep 59 lies a short distance above the plane of the bottom surface of the strike-ofi plate 23. The purpose of the backfill is to bring up suflicient earth to support the newly laid concrete, as no form is used for the strip of concrete. The shut-olf plate. 20 acts as a temporary form. When ,it .moves on, the'earth which-the backfill 58 has brought up to the concrete supports the concrete until it sets. Excess-earth will flow over the top of the sweep 59 and will not be deposited on top of the newly laid concrete. A tamper plate 61a having a tamper 61 mounted thereon firmly packs the earth adjacent the newly laid concrete. The tamper 61 may be of conventional construction and may be of the electric or hydraulic type, operated through a flexible connection such as a wire or hose, respectively from a source of power on the main body of the Widener 10. A turnbuckle 62 is provided for holding the forward end of the sweep 59 at desired distances from the shut-off plate 20.

For convenience in illustrating the invention as applied to a Blew-Knox No. 85 Widener, the strike-off plate 23 and vibrator plate 26 have been shown as being formed of two sections each. :It will readily be seen that each of these plates may be made of a plurality of sections which slide one on the other telescope-like. Also, tubes or housings extending under the widener 10 to receive in telescoping manner a single section of strikeoif plate and a single section of vibrator plate in much the same manner as the housings 39 and 40, receive the extension beams 16 and 17.

In the modification shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, there is shown an adjustable width road widening machine in accordance with the present invention, in which the backfill 58 is replaced with a rearward extension 63 for the outer shut-off plate 20. The extension 63 is of a length to extend a considerable distance to the rear of the Widener 10 for use primarily under those construction conditions in which the backfill must be done by manual labor as when the shoulder of the road is very narrow. By extending the outer shut-off plate a considerable distance to the rear of the machine, a labor crew will have adequate time to backfill and tamp the filled-in earth without slowing down the forward movement of the machine.

The rearwardmost end of the plate 63 may be held against lateral displacement by a stabilizer rod 64, which has one end (not shown) secured to the framework of the Widener 10 and the other end bolted as at 65 in one of the holes 66, depending on the width of the strip being laid.

The use of the extension plate 63 does not permit the laying of a tapered width of strip. It does facilitate the laying of a constant width strip on a road having a narrow shoulder. Stepped widths of concrete strip may be laid with the use of the extension plate 63, but where the subsequent strip is narrower than a previously laid strip,

the narrower strip cannot be begun until the rearwardmost end of the extension has cleared the previously laid strip of concrete.

While there has been disclosed in the foregoing description a practical embodiment and a modification of a variable road Widener attachment in accordance with the present invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that variations in the implementation of the concept of the invention are within the purview and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a strip road Widener of the class described having a source of power for driving said Widener in a forward direction, inner and outer parallel shut-off plates extending both below the surface of the road to be widened and longitudinallyof said road Widener from its forward end toward its rear end, laterally moving upper and lower extension beams'supporting the outer shut-off plate spaced laterally from said inner shut-off plate, the improvement, comprising, in combination, continuously adjustable means coupled with said extension beams for selectively moving at will said extension beams laterally of said road Widener, a continuously extendible strike-off plate coupled between said inner and outer shut-off plates, a continuously extendible tamping plate connected between said inner and Outershut-olf plates, said continuously adjust? able means being also adapted to simultaneously continuously extend said strike-ofi plate, said tamping plate and said outer shut-off plate, a tamper mounted on said tamping plate, said outer shut-01f plate terminating at said strike-off plate, a backfill plate connected outwardly oi said outer shut-off plate, said backfill plate flaring outwardly and forwardly from an apex adjacent said strikeoff plate, a second tamper plate mounted within the angle adjacent said apex of said backfill plate and said outer shut-0E plate and a second tamper mounted on said second tamper plate.

2. In a strip road Widener of the class described having a source of power for driving said Widener in a forward direction, inner and outer parallel shut-0E plates extending both below the surface of the road to be widened and longitudinally of said road Widener from its forward end toward its rear end, laterally moving upper and lower extension beams supporting the outer shut-off plate spaced laterally from said inner shut-ohplate, the improvement, comprising, in combination, said extension beams being slidably journaled in housings on said road Widener, a screw threaded bracket mounted on each of said housings, a screw threaded rod having one end mounted in each of said brackets, the other end of said rods coupled with said outer shut-01f plate, sprockets fixedly mounted on said rods, a chain connecting said sprockets, handle means on one of said rods, whereby revolving said handle will move said outer shut-cit plate laterally from said inner shut-off plate and maintain said inner and outer plates in parallelism with respect to each other, a continuously extendible strike-off plate coupled between said inner and outer shut-oil? plates, a continuously extendible tamping plate connected between said inner and outer shut-oft plates, sprocket and chain means operatively connected to said handle means for simultaneously extending said tamping plate and said strike-oil plate in unison with said outer shut-oft plate, a tamper mounted on said tamping plate, said outer shut-oif plate terminating at said strike-oi? plate, a backfill plate connected outwardly of said outer shut-0ft" plate, said backfill plate flaring outwardly and forwardly from an apex adjacent said strike-off plate, a second tamper plate mounted within the angle adjacent said apex of said backfill plate and said outer shut'ofi plate and a second tamper mounted on said second tamper plate.

3. In a strip road Widener of the class described having a source of power for driving said Widener in a forward direction, inner and outer parallel shut-off plates extending both below the surface of the road to be widened and longitudinally of said road Widener from its forward end toward its rear end, laterally moving upper and lower extension beams supporting the outer shut-off plate spaced laterally from said inner shut-oft plate, the improvement, comprising, in combination, continuously adjustable, means coupled with said extension beams for continuously selectively moving at will said extension beams laterally of said road Widener, a strike-0E plate rigidly connected to said road Widener, brackets mounted on said rigidly connected strike-off plate, a continuously extendible strike-01f plate section slidably mounted in said strike-off plate brackets and having one end connected to said outer shut-01f plate, a tamping plate rigidly connected to said road Widener, brackets mounted on said rigidly connected tamping plate, a continuously extendible tamping plate section slidably mounted in said tamping plate brackets and having one end connected to said outer shut-0E plate, a tamper mounted on said tamping plate, said continuously adjustable means being also adapted to simultaneously extend said strike-off plate, said tamping plate and said outer shut-0H plate, said outer shut-off plate terminating at said strike-off plate, a backfill plate connected outwardly of said outer shut-ofl plate, said backfill plate flaring outwardly and forwardly from an apex adjacent said strike-cit plate, a second tamper plate mounted within the angle adjacent said apex of said backfill plate and said outer shut-off plate and a second tamper mounted on said second tamper plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Construction Methods and Equipment publication entitled, Adaptable Widener Modernizes Roads, February 1955, pp. 118 and 119.

Owners Manual With Parts List, bulletin 245 8R, Blaw- Knox model or Widener Serial No. 264, by Blaw- Knox Equipment Div., Pittsburgh, Pa. 

